The European Union Must Pressure Iran on Human Rights

Ylva Goutland and Cecilia Wikström, two Swedish Members of the European Parliament, have expressed their objection to the imprisonment of Narges Mohammadi, a human rights activist in Iran, in a letter to Federica Mogherini, the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. The two MEPs have asked Ms. Mogherini what plans the EU has to first defend Ms. Mohammadi and then to improve the human rights situation in Iran. In an interview with Radio Farda, Ms. Goutland was asked if the authors of the letter had received a response yet. She replied, 'Not yet, but we are certainly waiting and we definitely want an answer. Of course, we are putting pressure, so we will get a response. We also believe that the EU and the European Commission should be concerned about the situation of human rights activists in Iran, take human rights seriously in their relations with Iran, and apply pressure in this regard.' She emphasized that the main point raised in the letter was the special case of Ms. Narges Mohammadi, who is known for her activities in human rights and the abolition of the death penalty. Therefore, when her activities are hindered, it constitutes a violation of human rights. The first question was how the EU would respond to this issue and what plans the Commission has to protest this situation. The second question concerned the overall human rights situation in Iran, as it has not improved as hoped, and the regime repeatedly uses the death penalty to intimidate people. They want the EU to react to this issue, protest it, and discuss it with Iran. When asked if the nuclear talks with Iran have impacted human rights relations between the EU and the Islamic Republic, Ms. Goutland stated that while negotiations on the nuclear program are necessary, more focus should be placed on human rights. She noted that in recent years, the focus has been solely on the nuclear issue, diverting attention from human rights, which is problematic. It is important to focus on the situation of human rights activists or those imprisoned for political activities. This is something the whole world should engage in a constant dialogue about with Iran and respond when incidents occur. Regarding recent comments by Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, who stated that no one is imprisoned in Iran for their beliefs, Ms. Goutland expressed that the reality shows otherwise, as people are imprisoned for their political activities and do not receive fair trials. She questioned the source of Mr. Zarif's data, pointing out that just last week, another case of a human rights activist being imprisoned was witnessed, indicating a clear reality in this regard.